Echoes
by Wolfrider1023
Summary: Spoilers for anime episode 51, full summary inside.  When someone gets between an old enemy with a grudge and his intended victim, his friends must race against the clock to save him. Rated T for violence and mild language.
1. Prologue

**Summary:** It's been a while since the defeat of the kishin Asura, and things had really calmed down around Death City. Death the Kid, Liz, Patty, Maka, Soul, Black Star, and Tsubaki face their latest mission feeling fairly confident. However, a man with a grudge is out there, and someone will get between him and his intended victim. Everyone must race against the clock to rescue their friend before their enemy finally gets revenge.

"I am the great assassin BLACK STAR! Nothing can stand up to me! HAHAHA!"

Death the Kid, Liz, Patty, Maka, and Soul all sighed, while Tsubaki had her "tolerant" grin plastered over her face as she tried to quiet her partner down.

It had been a while since the defeat of the kishin Asura, and the missions had been very minor since then. All three weapon and Meister pairs there were getting close to becoming or making Death Scythes. Kid was behind, naturally, because he had to gather twice as many souls, but being a Reaper helped.

They had been sent to gather a more powerful kishin soul that had been stirring in a secluded, abandoned village. They were all rather confident—they had defeated Asura. Things were pretty easy these days.

"So, where is it?" Black Star, said, looking around. "Where's this kishin?"

"It's in there," Maka said, pointing to a large, old stone building. It was very tall, with stone pillars connecting the floor and the ceiling. A doorway yawned in the stone wall, revealing an empty room. "I can sense its soul. It's very powerful."

"Maka's right," Kid said, staring intently at the building. "There's something else, though…a human soul, I think."

"You're right," Maka said, also peering at the building. "That's funny, what's a human soul doing with a kishin soul?"

"Well, let's go!" Black Star shouted with his usual forwardness. "Tsubaki, chain scythe mode!"

"Right!"

"Wait!" Maka called as Tsubaki glowed gold, then transformed into a chain scythe. Yelling, Black Star hurtled towards the doorway….and suddenly slammed into an invisible wall.

Kid walked forward calmly, with Liz and Patty behind. He frowned. "This door…my father sealed it."

"What d'you mean?" Soul asked. He was standing near Maka, looking a little bored with the whole situation, hands in his jacket pockets, like usual.

"This door. It's been sealed with the power of a Grim Reaper," Kid explained, putting a hand on it. "This kishin must be powerful, if my father personally trapped it in here."

"Can you un-seal it?" Black Star demanded, getting up. "If I'm gonna surpass God, I need to defeat every enemy I set out of face! WaHOOO!"

Ignoring the last part of Black Star's little speech, Kid nodded. "Yes, I can release the seal." He extended one hand, placed it flat upon the seal, and closed his eyes. The symbol of a Grim Reaper flashed white against the darkness of the room within, and then faded.

"There," Kid said.

Soul grinned, his pointed teeth giving him a slightly sinister look. "Cool," he said, before glowing blue and turning into a scythe. Maka caught him and did her usual little warm-up twirling. "Let's go," she said, looking determined.

"Liz, Patty," Kid said, holding his hands out to his sides slightly

"Yeah," Liz said. "Okay!" Patty basically cheered with her usual ditsy grin. They both glowed pink before turning into twin pistols, which Kid caught.

They headed into the building. Inside, it was empty and echoing. "Look, there's another door," Soul said, his reflection appearing on the blade of the scythe. "Maybe something's in there."

As if to answer his question, a huge crashing noise came from deeper within the building.

A/N: And then Wolfie left you with a cliffhanger! XD

Sorry. *cough* It's not really a cliffhanger. Anyways, here it is, my first fic! Obviously it's a Soul Eater fic. I do not own Soul Eater, or any of the characters in it! However, I will have OCs later, who I do own. Basically.

This follows the plot of the anime. Things in the manga have not happened. And I'm also only using American terms. I like "Shinigami" better than "Reaper," but I want to stay consistent.

Okay, I know I said it was mainly Kid, and it'll focus more on him later. Right now it's just the whole gang. So…please review, and enjoy Echoes!


	2. Chapter 1: First Regrets

A/N: Alright! Next chapter. Here is where the main plotline gets started. And the whole thing with the door—I don't think that's actually one of Kid's powers, but it makes sense for Shinigami-sama to be able to seal stuff up, and Kid being his son…so, anyway, here we go. And sorry about the lack of something between the Author's Notes and the actual story, I'm new to and just figured it out. .

* * *

"Something's definitely in there," Soul said.

"Yeah," Maka agreed. "The kishin soul is coming closer. The human soul is staying behind, though."

"Forget about the human," Black Star said, flashing his trademark grin. "The kishin's what we're here for. You guys just watch this star in action!"

Suddenly, the back wall of the room exploded. All three Meisters quickly shielded their faces as bits of rock and dust flew everywhere. When they looked up, the kishin was standing there.

It was huge. It stooped to fit in the ceiling, which was about ten feet high. It was a violent shade of orange, a huge bulging mass with tentacles waving everywhere. Each tentacle had a pointed end, except for a few thicker ones that had hand-like things on the end. Its neck was thick and long, connecting to an almost dragon like head. Its feet were like the claws of a dragon on the ends of thick, short stumps of legs.

"That thing is hideous!" Liz all but wailed. "I don't like big hideous monsters!"

"It's orange," said Patty with her usual obliviousness.

"It reminds me of that annoying Fisher King," Kid said. He got into one of his usual fighting stances. "Death God Martial Art, Stance of—"

He never got to finish. The kishin suddenly seemed to tense, then let out a vicious roar. It lunged towards Kid and snapped at him, its dragon-like mouth full of fangs. Kid dodged just in time and let out a barrage of shots from Liz and Patty. Black spots appeared on the beast's skin, but it did nothing but let out a roar and continue attacking him.

"Tsubaki, shuriken mode!" Black Star said.

"Right!"

The chain scythe in Black Star's hands glowed gold, then changed into a shuriken, which he quickly hurled at the kishin. It sliced clean through several tentacles. Maka took this change to jump forward with Soul, jumping through the gap in the tentacles Black Star had made. She swung Soul with all her might and cut a gash in the kishin's side. Blood leaked out, but the beast still kept attacking Kid.

"It doesn't even seem to notice that it got hurt!" Maka gasped, twirling her scythe and cutting another gash. Again the monster ignored her.

"This doesn't make sense, why is it only attacking me?" Kid yelled, dodging more tentacles that lashed towards him. He raised Patty and shot the kishin straight in the eye.

"WOOHOO!" Patty yelled, a huge smile plastered on her face. "I shot it in the EYE, sis!"

"Yeah…" Liz said as she huddled there miserably. "Great…"

"Nothing's working," Soul said. "We need a chain resonance,"

"Soul, the last time we tried that you got devoured by black blood," Maka yelled as she stabbed the kishin once again.

"I ate the demon, remember?" Soul said as they took a slight break before the next attack.

Suddenly, the beast stopped fighting. It simply stood there, waiting.

Black Star, with a surprising lack of his usual big-headedness, spoke up. "We need to all attack in the same place to keep doing damage. Tsubaki, enchanted sword mode."

Tsubaki paused and looked at him before changing into the enchanted sword. His face was set in determined lines. She smiled and transformed.

"Soul's right, we need a chain resonance," Kid said, glancing at Maka. She was panting, with Soul held at the ready.

Suddenly, the kishin attacked again. They all dodged, and fought back. But slowly, surely, the Meisters were weakening. It seemed to recognize whenever they were ready to attack.

Kid watched carefully. _There has to be something we can do…_ There! When Maka got into her usual stance to attack, the kishin attacked her. She had no choice but to dodge. The same with Black Star, except with his speed he could dodge and land a few hits. _But it knew my stance right away…_

"It knows when we get ready to attack," He called to the others. "When we get in our usual stances it attacks, we have to fight differently."

"Big star like me can fight any way he likes," Black Star said, returning to cockiness. He raised Tsubaki, clearly ready to fight.

"No, Black Star!" Tsubaki yelled, but most of the kishin's tentacles lashed towards him. Kid and Maka raised their weapons, ready to help, but a tentacle previously unseen lashed forward and cut a deep gash—possibly scraping bone—across Kid's hands.

Liz and Patty clattered to the ground. There was suddenly complete silence in the room. The Thompson sisters looked desperately up at their Meister. _But how…_Liz thought. _How is he going to fight with us when his hands are in that state…?"_

"We need to fall back and regroup," Maka said. Soul hung at her side, so the kishin was standing where the door to the next part of the building used to be. Even Black Star had the sense to stand down.

"Maka's right," Kid said, picking up his weapons and wincing. Blood dripped from his hands. "We need a strategy,"

"You mean we're gonna retreat?" Black Star said, sounding outraged. "We didn't retreat when we were facing Asura!"

"We didn't have the chance," Soul pointed out. "We'll come back and kick this guy's ass, we just need a plan."

"We all run for it," Maka said, glancing at the door. "Kid, when we're outside, can you seal it again, so we're not followed?"

Kid nodded.

"Okay, on three," Maka continued, tensing, ready to run. "One…two…three!"

They sprinted for the door. Retreating. It was something they hadn't really done before. But now that they had the chance to fall back, they could take it so that they would kill this thing with minimal damage to themselves. However, as soon as they turned their backs, the kishin roared and began to attack.

"Tsubaki, ninja sword mode!" Black Star ordered. When she transformed, he quickly sped outside, Maka and Kid right behind him.

_This thing is too fast,_ Kid thought with a quick glance at the kishin. _We're not going to make it…unless…_

Maka made it outside, where she put her hands on her knees, panting. Behind her, the seal of a Grim Reaper flashed over the door. Soul turned blue and turned back to his human form. "So…strategy time?" He said. Suddenly, a desperate yell broke the air.

Everyone whirled around to see Liz and Patty pounding on the door to the old building. They looked frantic. With another look, Maka could see why.

Kid had tossed Liz and Patty out the door before him. There was no time for him to get outside and seal the door with the kishin so close behind him, so he sealed himself inside with it.

The kishin gave a roar of triumph as a few of its tentacles grabbed Kid's arms, and yanked him up into the air.

* * *

A/N: Here we go, now we get to the main plotline. Poor Kid. Lots of bad things happen to him. =P

Sooo…uh…yeah. There's not really much else to say, except keep watching. Next chapter will introduce the main baddie in this story. And keep in mind, while this might sound similar to the manga (eventually) events in the manga never happened here.


	3. Chapter 2: Realizations

A/N: M'kay, on we bravely venture! Remember to press that nifty little button at the bottom of the screen to review! :) Sorry for the wait. Real life's been busy lately.

Oh, and sorry for the point of view switching from person to person last chappie, it just kind of happened. -_- I'll focus on one person, M'kay? Alright, let's go!

* * *

Liz pressed her hands desperately against the seal. This couldn't be happening. No. It couldn't be happening.

Her gaze shifted slightly to the left. Patty was right there alongside her, face full of desperation. They had been through so much together, putting up with Kid's obsession with symmetry, and all the battles. Her mind flashed back to the time before they had met up with Kid. The days were dark and lonely at the core, though she tried to convince herself she was living the high life. She never was. Losing Kid would be like losing her arm. The first words he had ever spoken to the pair of them came back to her.

"_You two are beautiful!"_

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, remembering the rapture in his face. What was _wrong _with her, how could she be smiling?

The monster roared, vibrating the walls of the building. The rest of the team had come up to watch now, similar expressions of horror and worry on every face. The kishin raised its prize up in the air, tentacles poised to strike. Kid stared back, his orange eyes full of determination and an utter lack of fear.

"Stop, Tokra."

Immediately the beast froze as a soft voice permeated the room, effortlessly carrying despite the lack of volume. A figure delicately stepped over the rubble of the room.

He wasn't huge, but there was a sense of muscle about him, like a coiled spring. He was tall and graceful, with ruffled sandy blond hair. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt, tattered at the edges with smudges of dirt on it under a black jacket, and jeans, also tattered and smudged. It was his eyes that were really odd. One was dark blue, one was brown, and they constantly seemed to be shadowed by some constant torture. There also seemed to be something on his neck, but Liz couldn't make it out.

He stepped over to the monster. "Lower him down, Tokra," he ordered. "I want to see the _noble_ man we got today."

Liz found her voice again. "Give him back!" She yelled, pounding against the seal. It hummed quietly beneath her fingers. The man looked up, looking slightly bored.

"Not after he's just stopped by," he said, and glanced at Kid. His eyes narrowed. "I know that soul…" he mused.

Liz felt Maka stiffen behind her. "You have soul perception?" She said. The man nodded disdainfully.

"Of course," he said, still staring at Kid, who glared back. He hadn't said a word. The man suddenly stiffened, his eyes widened. A trembling hand reached out, fingers almost touching the Reaper symbol on Kid's chest. The man's teeth ground together, his hand clenched and his eyes flashed.

"I know who you are," he said, his voice trembling with sudden rage. "You're Grimmy's little son, aren't you?"

Kid finally spoke. He raised his eyebrows slightly. "Grimmy?"

"Grim Reaper, Lord Death," the man said carelessly, still staring at the Reaper symbol. "Yes. Yes you are. Oooooh….fate is nice, isn't it? I've been waiting for a while but that accursed seal…well, no matter. Tokra here is my friend, isn't it?" He reached out and gently patted the monster's head. It made a low grumbling sound, the closest thing it could get to approval.

The man looked back at them, his different colored eyes flashing. "Why are you here? Did you come to kill my beautiful Tokra?"

"Beautiful?" Soul muttered, his face set in ugly lines of anger. "That thing is hideous."

"I'm the star of this show!" Black Star—of course—announced, shoving Maka aside and ignoring her protest of "Hey!" "So why don't you come out and fight ME?"

The man smiled, genuinely amused. "Because that seal's in the way," he said, gesturing at the door. "It's your friend's fault he broke it. Tokra, inside. Take our guest."

The monster, Tokra, gave a growl of consent, lifted Kid up, and hurled him into the floor. If it didn't knock the Reaper unconscious, he sure was stunned, and was dragged off without a fight. All the people outside started yelling and shouting. _They all care,_ Liz thought. _They all realize we're a team now_. Even Black Star wasn't shouting about being the star for once—he was describing exactly how he would pound the mystery man's face in when he got the chance.

The man merely laughed, and followed Tokra as the orange thing disappeared into the shadows of the building. "Ask dearest Grimmy," he said, pausing and looking back. "About the story of Damien. And don't worry. I won't kill your friend."

He continued walking, and then, face half shrouded in darkness, looked back with a maniacal grin. "For now," he finished grimly, and headed back inside.

Liz felt Patty slowly sink to the ground, and she felt like joining her. Her insides were dropping to her shoes as she stared in shock at what had just happened.

Kid was gone.

_I failed._

The trek home was silent as they all absorbed what had really just happened. Kid was gone. Kid was gone. Kid was gone. The mantra played over and over and over in Liz's head. _Kid was gone. Kid was gone._

Eventually, though she had no memory of the trip, they were in Death City. Then they suddenly were in front of the Death Weapon Meister Academy, or the DWMA. And then they were in the Death Room, standing in front of Lord Death, who turned to face them with his customary greeting in that adorable, silly voice of his.

"Well hi, hey, what's up, how's it going?"

You could practically see the gloom above the student's heads. "We…we failed, sir," Maka choked out. Death tipped his head to one side with a strange _sproing_.

"How so?"

"We couldn't defeat the kishin," Maka said, studying the floor intently. "It was too powerful. And…sir…it got Kid."

Lord Death stared at them. There was a long pause. "What do you mean?" He said after a while.

"We mean that…well…this is what happened."

Liz wasn't listening while Maka launched into the story of what happened. It replayed in her mind. Suddenly hurtling through the air, no longer in Kid's bloodstained hands, clattering on the ground. Transforming, turning back, seeing the Reaper's seal fade. What really stuck with her was the smile.

There was a smile of satisfaction on Kid's face in the split second before Tokra grabbed him.

Liz didn't understand. She had never been a deeply reflective person. She was concerned with primping and "pretty-ing," as Patty called it. Doing her nails, coordinating her outfits with Patty, but never just this deep thinking. _I suppose it's Kid_, she thought, somewhat mournfully. _I guess I'm more attached to him than I realized…_

"But…" Maka was now saying. "Sir, he told us to ask you about…the story of…"

"Damien," Tsubaki put in softly. She hadn't talked much this entire time, but now her large indigo eyes were trained steadily on Death's face. "He told us to ask you about Damien."

Lord Death remained silent. He turned to the mirror, and stared at it for a long time. You could have heard a pin drop.

Eventually he spoke. "This man…did he have…blond hair? And two different colored eyes? Tall, thin but strong, mark on his neck?"

"Yes," Tsubaki said. "The mark on his neck…it was your mark, wasn't it?" She studied Death's mask, which was in the exact shape of the symbol she was talking about. "I could see it, sort of."

"I'll tell you…in a minute." Lord Death said. His voice sounded…strange. Strained. "Please wait outside."

The Meister-weapon pairs (and Meisterless weapons) went outside. Everyone but Black Star and Soul slid down against the wall. They were all dead tired. Liz had resumed staring at the floor when someone interrupted her quiet contemplations.

"How's my girl?" Spirit, or Death Scythe as he was often called, seemed to appear out of nowhere, flashing his typical huge smile that he used to try to win over his daughter. Maka coolly ignored him, but it might have just been the initial shock still taking its toll.

"God, you're annoying," Soul muttered. There was a nerve pulsing in his neck. Liz suspected that he was more emotional then he let on, but just bottling up his feelings, which turned to anger. When Spirit showed up, maybe it seemed like a good outlet to channel his anger to. Suddenly, the redheaded Death Scythe was up in his face.

"Hey, you watch who you talk to! I'm a DEATH SCYTHE you little punk! And I'm watching you! You lay a hand on my Maka—"

"Yes, I know," Soul said, his face deadpan, a complete opposite of Spirit's furious one. "I lay a hand on your Maka and you'll freakin' kill me. We've been through this before."

Tsubaki appeared to keep the peace, pulling Spirit aside. "Now might not be the best time," she said quietly. "We're all tired and suffered a bit of a shock. Kid…well…Kid got—for lack of a better word—kidnapped."

Spirit's eyebrows shot up. Tsubaki continued. "Lord Death's in there thinking things over—alone."

Those words were barely out of her mouth when Lord Death's voice drifted through the door. "You can come in. Spirit, you too."

Liz blinked as Spirit was addressed, but she quietly shrugged it off. It was only natural that Death knew where his weapons were.

The team quietly entered the Death Room, to find the Grim Reaper still facing his mirror. The silenced continued only for a moment as he spoke.

"It's about time I told somebody," Lord Death said quietly. His voice still had that goofy edge, but it was dead serious. "It was a long while ago."

"Sir," Liz interrupted, slightly apologetic. "Does this have something to do with…with Kid?"

"Yes," Death said, turning to face them at last. "It has everything to do with Kid. The man you saw, his kidnapper, was Damien. The very person he told you to ask me about."

"But who was he?" Black Star said. "I'll kick his ass!"

Everyone glanced, slightly surprised, at the blue-haired boy. His face was serious again, and you could tell he meant what he said. _I'm not the only one who cares about Kid,_ Liz reminded herself. But still, this was Black Star. It was surprising.

"This what happened, say, 800 years ago," Death began.

* * *

A/N: Aaaaaand, cliffhanger! Next chapter will be devoted to the story of this Damien fellow and why he's here. And the next section of this note will have spoilers for manga chapters 56 and 78. BEWARE!

This really was some interesting character development for Liz, I think. In the manga, when Kid was kidnapped, in chapter 56 she tried to get him back but realized she wasn't strong enough. It kind of bothered me how nonchalantly the team took it when they found out, so I made the reaction a little stronger here. And in 78, Liz starts crying when she realizes that she hasn't thanked him yet. I wanted it to seem like she started to feel responsible for him even though he's a death god, due to his OCD tendencies. So when it really hit home it was like a punch to the gut.

Anyways…thanks to the review I've got and those people who are watching my story! Keep trudging along with me, there's lots more action to come!


	4. Chapter 4: Story Time

Aaah! I'm really sorry about the delay, guys, I didn't mean for it to take this long. In this chapter, the backstory of our villain is revealed and how he relates to Lord Death.

* * *

"It was around 800 years ago," Lord Death began. "In the time of the eight warlords."

Maka remembered the stories of that time. Lord Death was one of the eight powerful warriors, or warlords, who lived to keep the Earth free of evil and prevent the coming about of a kishin. They were the leaders, in a sense, of that time.

"We didn't have much outside help, the warriors and I," Death continued. "Everyone mostly kept out of our way. We were a bit frightening despite what we did to help. But Damien was one of the few exceptions. Him and his son, Cody."

"How could a human help?" Liz asked softly. Maka was a bit startled at the raw grief still evident in her voice. _Well, it makes sense,_ she thought. _Kid isn't just her Meister, he's the one who brought her and Patty here. He changed their lives…and now he's gone. I guess I would feel the same way._ Another pang of grief hit her. _I guess I kind of _do _feel the same way_.

"People don't usually suspect humans," Spirit spoke up, unusually serious. Maka was reminded of the time he told her about the Demon Sword, Ragnorak. "They hear things. And can go unnoticed."

"Correct," Death confirmed. "And Damien, despite not having a weapon and just being a human, also has very powerful Soul Perception.

"But what does this Damien guy have to do with Kid?" Tsubaki asked. "Despite the fact that he…well, kidnapped him." Death sighed.

"Helping us—the warriors, that is—was very dangerous. Very easy to get yourself killed. Unfortunately, one of the days that Damien brought Cody with him was one of the days that the Nyrth came.

"The what?" Soul asked.

"The Nyrth. They were our main enemies back then," the Grim Reaper said, tilting his head to one side, apparently lost in memories.

"But they died out soon after the time of the warlords, didn't they?" Maka asked. She remembered reading something about the Nyrth. And bashing Soul's head in with that very book. The barest hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"Yes," Death agreed. "However, they were alive when Damien was at large. As I was saying, Damien brought Cody with him one day when he was reporting some information he had found to us. But the Nyrth attacked. Damien went to help—he was pretty good with a sword even though he wasn't a Meister. I was defending a rather isolated part of our stronghold. If the Nyrth took the stronghold, which was the root of our power at the time, all would pretty much be lost.

"But Damien left Cody with me. There was nowhere else to hide and this place was the least likely to get attacked. Cody was young at the time, around six years old, maybe. But the Nyrth did exactly what we didn't expect them to do—attack where I was guarding."

"Did Cody get hurt in the battle?" Tsubaki asked.

"Yes," Death said slowly, grief heavy in his voice. "When the Nyrth attacked, a few got through. They were heading to the heart of our stronghold. I had to stop them. So I left my station. I…Cody was getting attacked at the time. I tried to fend them off, but then the others started heading through…and…" Death trailed off. Maka had never seen him at a loss for words like this.

Eventually, the Grim Reaper found his voice. "I left him there. I came back as soon as I could, but Damien had beaten me there. All…all that was left were a few pieces. The Nyrth tore him apart."

There was a stunned silence at this. Maka swallowed, trying to suppress the images that rose in her head. Pieces of a six-year-old strewn about in a puddle of blood…no. No, she couldn't think that.

"Damien blamed me," Lord Death continued, his goofy voice sounding hollow and strange. "As soon as he saw me, he confronted me. He blamed me, said I had left on purpose, and meant to get his son killed. He went a little crazy that day, and he's never been the same since."

"What happened to him?" Patty asked. She was also surprisingly serious. Maka shook her head in amazement. _Papa, Black Star, and Patty….who would have thought?_

"He left soon after that. Just vanished one day. I thought he had left to escape the grief, but…he was finding the Nyrth."

"He sided with them, didn't he?" Black Star asked, his face suddenly angry. "The bastard made a deal with them?"

"Correct again," Lord Death confirmed. "Damien was so out of his mind with grief that he vowed to kill me. He enlisted the help of the Nyrth, and led another attack on the warriors' stronghold. I…I couldn't bring myself about to kill him, though it was the right thing to do. We soundly defeated the Nyrth, though, and it was soon after that when they finally vanished, I believe.

"Anyway, when the Nyrth were defeated, Damien was badly injured and captured. I didn't kill him. He had fought against the Nyrth many times, and was a valuable spy. So instead I branded him, so to speak, with my mark. At the time, it told people that this was a dangerous criminal. Then I made it so that he could never die of old age, as a punishment. Then I sealed him inside of a building. I made sure he had enough food and water, but slowly the world forgot about him. I kept it that way. Maybe I thought I could escape the memories."

There was dead silence following these words as each kid processed this. Maka was the first to speak again, but you could practically see the gears in her head turning.

"Lord Death, sir," she began, frowning thoughtfully. "If Damien was sealed away, how could a kishin get in?"

"The seal was designed to keep Damien in and powerful beings out," Lord Death explained. "I suppose humans could wander in from time to time. I believe Damien captured a particularly mean one, and then fed it other human souls that he collected until it became a kishin. And a powerful one at that."

Suddenly Liz gasped. "Lord Death," she began in a rushed, panicky voice. "If the Nyrth killed Cody and Damien wants revenge, do you think Kid…?" Her voice abruptly trailed off at the very thought.

"He said he wouldn't," Tsubaki pointed out. "Then again, we see how much we can trust this guy."

"I hope he's alright," Patty murmured, staring down at the floor. Silence fell thick upon the Death Room once again.

* * *

The dizziness was _finally_ going away. However, he could practically feel the bump forming on his forehead from where Tokra had smashed him into the floor. Kid shook his head one more time to clear the last of the fuzz, then assessed his surroundings.

He was hanging from a ceiling, handcuffs connecting to chains that dangled from the roof. There were guttering torches here and there, illuminating the dismal rock room Kid was taking in. The wall across from him lay in crumbles across the floor, where Tokra had burst through earlier. Other bricks were scattered here and there, and there was the slow dripping sound as some unseen water fell from the ceiling, splashing into a gradually forming puddle.

The man from earlier was sitting on a rock nearby. Kid's heart skipped a beat as a knife appeared from the shadows around the man's hand, but he shifted which brought him into better light, and revealed he was merely cutting up an apple. However, his fears returned as the man glanced up, noticed he was fully conscious, and suddenly smiled.

"Well, hey," he said, laying the apple to one side on the brick he was sitting on. "Look who's awake."

His black jacket an white t-shirt had been replaced by a white tank top. As he stared at Kid, one hand crept, seemingly unconsciously, to a strange mark on his neck. Kid peered closer at it. Was that…?

"Oh, you've noticed," Damien said, purposefully rubbing that spot on his neck now. "Do you know how I got this mark?"

"I don't even know your name," Kid said evenly. Oddly enough, he felt no fear. Just satisfaction that he had prevented further harm from coming to his friends. _This man is dangerous, _a small voice reminded him from the back of his head. _And he doesn't seem to like you._ "How would I know how you got whatever's under your hand?"

The man smirked. "Call me Damien," he said, moving his hand away and tipping his head slightly to one side so Kid could see it better. It a dark purple Reaper's symbol.

"Is that…?" Kid began, but trailed off when Damien quickly rose.

"Yes," the blond spat, his fingers clenching around the knife still in his hand. "The symbol of your dear daddy."

Kid's brow furrowed. "How do you know my—"

"Your father?" Damien interrupted again. "Oh, we go way back, Grimmy and I. _Way_ back. Want to hear the story?"

"Not particularly," Kid said, now struggling slightly to keep his voice even as Damien approached, idly flipping the knife. "I don't like story time."

Damien threw back his head and laughed, long and loud. It was a harsh, cruel sort of laugh, not the kind of thing you smile to. The kind of laughter that made you instinctively tense up, which is just what Kid did.

"If you weren't the son of the person who as good as murdered my son, I'd like you." Damien said, still chuckling. "You've got spunk. Now what's your name?"

"Murdered your son?" Kid said in shock, his eyes widening. He gave a small gasp and bit his lip as suddenly Damien's knife was at his throat, all traces of past good humor gone.

"I asked you a question," the psycho ground out from between gritted teeth. "Answer it. What. Is. Your. _Name?_"

"Death the Kid," Kid quickly said, gulping slightly against the knife blade. "Kid for short."

Damien relaxed, and a smile returned. When he didn't have that maniacal glint in his eyes or his face set in hard lines of anger, he looked like a surprisingly friendly and handsome guy. All hiding inner madness.

"Death the Kid," the blond announced slowly. "Hmmm. Named for daddy, I suppose?" When Kid didn't answer, he responded with another sudden mood swing. His face morphed into an ugly scowl, that strange madness shone in his eyes again as he suddenly delivered a fierce blow to Kid's chest, knocking the wind out of him.

"_Answer the question!_" He all but screamed, his furious face inches from Kid's almost deadpan (though it showed some fear as he wheezed for breath) one.

"Yes," Kid gasped, still trying to even his breathing. "Yes, I was named for my father."

Damien smiled again, leaning back and flipping the knife idly again. Suddenly, in one fluid motion, he rammed it into Kid's arm. The Reaper couldn't suppress a cry of pain and shock as his blood started to trickle down his arm, staining his otherwise mostly impeccable clothing. Kid bit his lip as Damien dragged the knife down his upper arm, pausing above the elbow.

"I think you'll like this story time," he whispered sadistically, his different colored eyes drinking in every moment of Kid's pain. He smiled, but this smile somehow showed his inner insanity as much as his previous rage did.

Kid relaxed as the knife was withdrawn from his arm, though he was still in pain. "What if I don't like the story time?" He said, opening his eyes and staring Damien straight in the face. "I think I'd like to leave."

Damien laughed again, the same laugh as before. "Open your eyes, Death God," he said jeeringly. "You're chained to a ceiling. You have no weapons. You are defenseless. Now, listen to the story of Cody, and understand the meaning of _pain!_" The bloodstained knife blade flipping mesmerizingly through the air before sticking inside Kid's other arm.

Slowly, as Kid's blood dripped to the ground, Damien's eyes filled with tears as he told how his son met his end. "Do you understand?" He whispered, stumbling away. Kid had several deep gashes in his arms and a couple of shallower ones across his chest. The wound he had received from Tokra on his hands had stopped bleeding, but it still hurt. "Do you understand?" Damien repeated, the knife clattering to the ground as he clutched at his head. "Cody! You'll feel _his _pain!"

The half-crazed man froze, then suddenly loosened, looking lazily up at Kid as a sadistic smile spread across his face. "And Grimmy will feel _my_ pain," he said, the smile growing as he thought of the pain that both Kid and his father would endure.

* * *

Writing sadistic lunatics is fun. ^_^

Meh. I don't really like the ending to this chapter. I'm bad at endings. But whatever. I don't have much to say about this, other than that I'll push myself to work on it more, but school is coming back up, so…I'll update as much as possible, but I have no timeframe or anything. So…please be patient! And remember to review! Thanks to those who've been following my story so far!


	5. Chapter 5: A Message and a Plan

A/N: AAAACK. BAD ME. No, this is not on hiatus! I just need to REMEMBER. Sorry guys, I'm juggling a lot of writing at once…bad me. But reviewing will probably help me remember! ;) Soooooo….on we merrily venture.

"Nyahahahahaha! Gi-raffe! Gi-raffe! Gi-raffe!"

Liz smiled quietly as Patty danced around the kitchen, holding a paper giraffe she had made. It had been a few days since Kid had been taken, and the shock had worn off some. Meaning that Patty was back to her usual…well, she was herself again. _There's not really a way to describe Patty_, Liz thought as she finished painting her nails.

"NOW!" Patty announced, her face suddenly determined as she set the giraffe on the left counter. Of course, there were two counters so that the house was symmetrical. "I CHALLENGE YOU, GIRAFFE!"

Liz laughed as Patty chopped the giraffe's neck. "Woohoo!" Her little sister cheered, holding the giraffe above her. "I won, sis!"

"Well done, Patty!" Liz said, using her "little kid" voice that she usually used when Patty was acting like this. "That giraffe didn't stand a chance!"

"Yeah!" Patty cheered, skipping towards the door. "Come on, sis! Professor Stein will kill us and dissect us if we're late!"

Liz stared at her sister's smile even as she talking about being killed and dissected. "I don't get you sometimes," she said to herself with a smile, grabbing her jacket and running to the door.

* * *

"Good thing you're here! Big star like me wasn't gonna wait around much longer!"

Tsubaki smiled, pretty much ignoring Black Star as he laughed to himself. "Hi guys!"

Patty hummed to herself as she looked around. They were standing in front of the DWMA. _Perfectly symmetrical,_ Liz thought with a twinge of sadness and fear for her Meister. "Hey guys. Where's Maka and Soul?" She said.

"Right here!" Maka said, running up the stairs. "Sorry guys! Blair was bothering us again."

"You mean Blair was bothering me," Soul said, rubbing his head and wincing. "Then you came in and bashed my head in with a book."

Maka shrugged, not looking shameful at all. "Come on, let's go."

They stepped inside and were making their way to the classroom when a voice came over the loudspeaker. "Maka Albarn, Soul Evans, Black Star, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, and Liz and Patty Thompson, please report to the Death Room."

They glanced at each other. "Do you think it has something to do with…?" Liz's voice trailed off."

"Let's go," Maka said quietly, and they made their way to the Death Room.

They stepped inside. "Lord Death, you wanted to see us?" Maka said. Death was staring at the mirror in front of him. Liz leaned to one side, trying to see what was there.

"Are these your son's friends? How sweet." An all-too familiar voice floated out of the mirror. They all tensed and moved forward.

"What do you want, Damien?" The Grim Reaper said. Damien, looking extremely bored, picked at something in his teeth.

"What, I can't see old friends? I'm hurt."

"What have you done with Kid?" Liz demanded, pushing her way forward.

"Yeah! You better give him back, or I'll kick your ass!" Black Star said. He flashed his typical cocky grin. "Big star like me will crush people as small as you without even trying!"

"I'm shaking in my boots," Damien said, still sounding bored. "But, you want to see your friend? Fine, whatever." He reached forward, out of the frame, presumably adjusting the mirror he was using. The frame turned, and showed Kid.

Liz gasped as she saw him. He was hanging from the ceiling by manacles, slumped and immobile. His usually impeccable suit was torn and stained with blood in several places. Damien sauntered over.

"Now you can't see," he said casually. "But Kid here is a great punching bag. I think I might have broken a few ribs."

He gave a savage punch to Kid's stomach, but the Reaper just gasped in pain instead of crying out. Damien scowled. "Now, look at your friends, Kid. They want to see you."

He grabbed Kid's chin and forced his face upwards. Blood dripped from his cheek, and he had a bad black eye.

Damien grinned, obviously enjoying himself as he glanced back towards the mirror. "Now, Kid, what was the worst part about your time with me? Be honest."

Kid glared at Damien, jerking his chin out of Damien's hand. "Nothing here is symmetrical," he spat in response. "This place is disgusting."

Damien scowled again. "You…" He growled, punching Kid in the face. He spat out blood, but again didn't cry out.

"You miserable child!" Damien screamed. There was a strange, insane glow to his eyes. "Scream, dammit! Scream for your LIFE!"

Kid spat on him. The blond gave an almost inhuman wail of rage, whipping a knife out. Ignoring the shouts from Kid's peers, Damien rammed the knife into Kid's arm. He dragged it down slowly as Kid gasped in pain, biting his lip to hold in a scream.

Damien let out a growl of frustration and let go, leaving the knife embedded in Kid's arm as he let the blood flow. He whirled around, back to the mirror, breathing heavily. "So, Grimmy," he said in a low voice, chest still heaving. "You killed Cody. I'm going to kill your son. Slowly. Painfully. Maybe I'll mail you his mangled body, huh? Maybe I'll just stay here, so that when you come for your son, I'll just be standing over him! Sound familiar?"

Damien reached towards the mirror, and the connection abruptly cut off.

"That's it—!" Soul growled. He was usually deadpan, but now his face was set in ugly lines of anger. "I'm ready to kill that son of a bitch."

"But the door is sealed," Maka groaned. "And Lord Death, sir, you can't leave Death City."

"Isn't there any _other _way to get him out?" Soul said in frustration. "Couldn't we just...knock down the building?"

Lord Death shook his head. "I built that building to withstand everything Damien could throw at it. It's his prison."

His voice was surprisingly steady for just seeing his son being tortured. _He must be trying not to admit it…to hold steady. For us! _Liz realized. _He's trying to provide an example for us…hold us together…so we can focus. _ And it was working. With Lord Death calmer, she felt that she had to be calmer herself. For Kid. _Losing my head won't do anything._

"If that monster got in...can't we?" Liz asked, frowning.

"There's a seal on the entire building…" Lord Death said slowly. "It might be weaker in spots. That would be how kishins could slip in. Maybe the kishin came in when it was weak then Damien fed it human souls."

Maka nodded, her eyes narrowed. Liz guessed she was remembering something she read. "That might also be the reason why it obeys Damien instead of eating him."

Patty cocked her head. "But how're we gonna open the door? Or can we just sneak in?"

"You'll have to go through the door," Lord Death said. "Meisters probably can't get through, and weapons certainly can't."

"But how will we open the door?" Tsubaki said. "Kid could open the door because he's a Reaper too…"

"But none of us can," Soul finished.

"I've read about…hang on!" Maka said, sprinting out of the room. Soul muttered something about not telling anyone else what was going on being uncool.

They waited in silence, thinking. "When we do get in," Liz said, "We still have to deal with Tokra."

"He won't be a problem," Black Star said. "Now that we know how he fights, it'll be a piece of cake! Especially with me around! Right, Tsubaki?" Tsubaki smiled. "Of course!" She said.

Maka came sprinting back in, a book in her hand. "Look!" She said, placing it on the floor. They all gathered around it. "Here," she said, pointing. "A Magic Tool!"

"That isn't made by Eibon," Lord Death said. "And it's less powerful. But it is a Magic Tool."

"Magic Tools don't have to be made by Eibon?" Liz said in surprise. Lord Death nodded.

"It's a container, of sorts," Maka continued. "It can hold Lord Death's power. We can basically carry it around with us!"

"But not for long," Liz warned. "Look. 'Although the Magic Tool can carry power, the power will slowly drain, and can only carry a limited amount. No one can take someone else's soul wavelength for long.'" She paused.

"Soul wavelength?" Soul said. "We'll be carrying your soul wavelength around?"

"Your soul wavelength is what gives you your abilities," Lord Death explained. "If you used the Magic Tool and carried Maka's wavelength, you could use soul perception, for example."

"And if we carry your wavelength, it'll let us unseal that door!" Patty said. Liz was actually a bit surprised. Her sister was paying attention, not looking for pictures in the clouds traveling around the room.

"But this book says that the Magic Tool has been missing for centuries," Tsubaki pointed out.

"Time is most important," Maka said. "We need to hurry."

There was a pause as they recalled the message Damien had just sent.

"We need to talk to an expert." Maka said. "Someone who knows a lot about Magic Tools."

Lord Death paused. "I think I might know someone." He said slowly.

* * *

Damien paced. His hands shook with anger at coming face to face with Grimmy once more. And the son…who would not scream. "There was lots of screaming for you, Cody," he mumbled, almost incoherent. He ran a bloodstained hand through his hair, the dark red liquid sticking to his hair.

Kid watched with interest. His chest and arm—still impaled with the knife—hurt like hell, but he wouldn't admit that. Damien seemed to just want him so scream, and he refused to give in to what that monster wanted. Even if he was going to die, he was going to do it silently, no matter what Damien did…

_Don't think that,_ he scolded himself. _The others will come. They know exactly where I am, so that'll help._

_But what about the door?_ The annoying voice in the back of his head whispered. _They can't get past that. _

_They'll find a way,_ he said firmly. _If anyone can, it's Maka. Liz and Patty…I hope they're okay...oh, come on, Kid. They're tough. Worry about yourself._

"There you are!" Damien hissed as a random kid crawled in, squeezing in under the rocks. "What did you find out?"

The person who just came in stared at Kid. He was small, with spiky brown hair, and a nervous air around him. "Wh-who's that?" He said, nodding at Kid.

"That's my new best friend," Damien said with heavy sarcasm. "He's my prisoner, you moron." He took a threatening step forward, and the kid shrank back. "Now what did you find out?"

"Th-they're heading out." The kid said nervously. From where he was suspended on the wall, Kid could see that his eyes kept flicking nervously around. _A spy, maybe?_ "I don't know what they're doing, though. Said something about someone named Straff."

"Straff…" Damien mused. "Go and find out who he is."

The little kid nodded and scampered away, squeezing through the rocks again. As he sprinted away from the building, nursing a scrape on his arm he had gotten from the rocks, he finally decided.

_That does it! I am done working for Damien! He can't get me…so I won't help him. But…that guy…_

"Oh, man," He groaned. "Kell, what have you gotten yourself into?"

Heart torn with indecision, Kell huddled under a tree as rain suddenly began to pour down on him. "What do I do now?"

* * *

Obviously, I took some more creative license with this. That's okay, though. It's for the story's sake. I hope I'm doing a good job sticking to the character's personalities. It's a bit difficult…they're so awesome in Soul Eater!

Anyway, thanks for reading, and please remember to review!


	6. Chapter 6: Searching

A/N: What's this? Wolfie's making an effort to actually update once in a while? -_-

_**

* * *

**_

Kell hadn't realized that he was sleeping until he woke up at the sound of voices.

A natural instinct made him dive for the nearest cover—behind the tree he had huddled under hours before. He flattened himself against the trunk, practically hyperventilating as panicked thoughts flew through his head.

_Damien! Kell, you shouldn't have left, you idiot! Or Straff! No, no, no, he can't be back, he can't…I ran from the frying pan straight to the fire with that one. Straff to Damien. Now Damien wants you to go back to Straff!_

Then he realized that he was hearing a girl's voice, not a guy's. He poked his head out from around the tree trunk, calming his racing heart.

Six kids were walking up the hill towards him, two guys and four girls. The girl who was talking—whichever one it was—was silent now. For some reason, they all seemed to be glancing towards the stone building nearby, shadowed looks on their faces. Damien's building. Kell shuddered.

He leaned out a little farther. Two of the kids—both blonds—looked very similar. Sisters, perhaps? They looked the most disturbed by the building nearby. Another girl was blond, but her hair was done in two ponytails, and it was a paler color. The last girl had long black hair done back in a ponytail. She was walking next to a guy with spiky blue hair, who walked with a confident swagger. The last member of the gang had spiky off-white hair, and his hands were in his pockets as he walked next to Ponytail-blond.

Ponytail-blond tensed slightly, and turned to stare straight at Kell. He whipped behind the tree, but it wasn't really adequate cover in the first place. His heartbeat sped up again and his breath came in unsteady.

_Everyone you know will hurt you,_ his instincts said. _Run. Run before they can._

But…something almost made Kell stay. Something seemed want to override his instincts. But even so, he jumped and ran when Spiky-blue-hair's face suddenly shoved right in his.

One of the blonds—the taller one—caught his arm. "Woah, slow down," she said. Kell wrenched his arm out of her grasp, ignoring her. He glanced around wildly. All six kids surrounded him. No where…to run…

_See. You let your guard down. Get ready for another beating._

Kell did so. He mentally withdrew into his shell, leaving his body, soon to be broken and battered, to the pain. He'd feel it later…but that was when it receded to the dull ache. He had learned that many times. With Straff.

"Hey, ki—you okay?"

Kell realized he was trembling and his eyes were shut tight. He stayed observant, though, noting Tall-Blond's reluctance to say "kid." "Just get it over with," he whispered, keeping his eyes closed.

"What are you talking about?" Another voice said. It was one of the guys, low and calm. Based on what he had seen of the boys, Kell guessed it was Spiky-white-hair.

He risked cracking an eye open. All of the kids were regarding him with a confused expression. What were they waiting for? Were they trying to make it psychological? Make him anticipate the pain? But their faces…they didn't seem to _want _to hurt him.

_Not possible,_ Instinct said. _Everyone will hurt you. Don't let them fool you._

And for the first time in his life, Kell ignored Instinct.

_**

* * *

**_

_This kid is confusing,_ Soul thought with an internal sigh.

Upon seeing them, he had run, and then started shaking like a leaf. Almost like he was expecting them to maul them or something.

But that was ridiculous. Who would expect to be attacked by everyone they saw? Nobody could be that paranoid. But the fear on this kid's face…

Soul took a second look. The kid was short with spiky brown hair and large brown eyes. He would have been easy to miss if he didn't have terror written all over his face. But he slowly stopped trembling. "You mean," the kid choked out, "You…_aren't_ going to hurt me?"

Soul and Maka exchanged confused glances.

"Of course not," Maka said. Soul recognized the tone. It was similar to how she had talked to Crona that first time. It was her "I'm-your-friend" voice.

"But that doesn't make sense," the kid said, shaking his head. "Almost _everyone_ hurts me. Straff said it would happen…and it's true."

Soul tensed. "Straff?" He said. "You know him?"

The kid flinched. "Yes," he said very quietly. "Why? Who are you? What do you want?"

"My name is Maka," Maka said, smiling at him, though Soul could see the anxiety in her eyes. Straff was the guy Lord Death had sent them to find. "This is Soul, Black Star, Tsubaki, Liz, and Patty. We need to find Straff to help our friend."

"What can Straff do?" The kid asked. He flinched himself when he said Straff's name. "Straff's not good for anything."

"We think that Straff has information that can help us get into that building," Maka said, gesturing at the structure below them. "That's where our friend's being held."

"Maka, we don't know who this guy is," Soul said angrily. "You can't just trust everyone you see! What if he's working for Damien?"

"No!" The kid suddenly screamed, turning his face sharply away and raising his hands, as if trying to hide from the name. _First this Straff guy…now Damien…_ Soul thought as the kid screamed "I won't go back there! Not to Damien!"

"Go back?" Tsubaki repeated, her face settling into lines of anger as everyone tensed. "You mean you've met him before?"

The kid closed his eyes and lowered his arms. In a suddenly quiet voice, he said "My name is Kell. I used to work for Damien." His voice rose slightly. "But I'm done now. Done! I'll never go back!"

"We don't have time for this," Soul snapped. "Tell us where Straff is! Damien made it clear that he'll kill Kid one way or another."

Kell cracked an eye open. "Kid?" He said, honest curiosity in his voice. "Is that the stripy-haired guy?"

There was a pause. Liz pushed Black Star aside, stepping forward. "You mean you've seen Kid?" she said, tension in her voice. "I he okay?"

Kell hesitated. "I…don't know. It looked pretty bad." He admitted. Liz glared at him and he quickly elaborated. "He was really bruised and cut! Damien's taking it slowly though, he'll make it last for another few days if he can."

"And you know this how?" Soul said darkly. Kell flinched, and Soul's hands, unseen in his jacket pockets, clenched. This kid had obviously seen Damien do his "work" before.

"Take us to Straff," Maka said, letting an edge of desperation creep into her voice. "_Please_, Kell. If we don't find Straff soon…Kid will die."

_Well done, Maka,_ Soul thought with a familiar twinge of admiration for his partner. Maka had indirectly implied that if Kid died, it would be Kell's fault. Sure enough, Kell was paling, realizing the unstated message.

Black Star was stepping forward and opening his mouth angrily when Kell burst out. "Come on!" And suddenly skittered away. He glanced back to see them all staring at him, and blinked. "I'm taking you to Straff," he said quietly, flinching again at the name. "Come on! I don't need any more hell in my head!"

Maka blinked and exchanged a glance with Soul, who shrugged. "I don't need another Crona in my life," he muttered, and followed Kell.

_**

* * *

**_

It turned out that once Kell got to know you, he didn't shut up.

"I lived with Straff for a while, so I know where I'm going. Obviously." the boy babbled as he walked alongside Tsubaki. He had taken a liking to the chain scythe, and walked by her the whole way. Tsubaki didn't mind—she liked little kids. It was a good distraction from the fiasco with Kid and Damien, and she needed a distraction. _There's been too much on my mind lately,_ she thought with a sigh.

"Why'd you leave?" Patty asked, walking on Kell's other side. Kell flinched, and Tsubaki bit her lip, sensing Patty had struck a nerve.

Kell opened his mouth to speak, shut it, and shook his head. "It doesn't matter," he said quietly.

Silence fell among them, and an unmistakable tension rose up in the group. Patty stumbled at one point, and Kell jumped, whipping his head around. _So even though he trusts us, he's still overly paranoid,_ Tsubaki noted as Patty righted herself and Kell tried to stop himself from trembling. _Poor kid._

The rest of the trip was silent, and Kell remained twitchy. They came to a woodland area, and at every snap of a twig, Kell jumped. Eventually, they came to a small ramshackle shack. It was practically falling in on itself, one corner of the roof collapsing, the wood rotting. Kell stopped dead at the sight of it.

"No," he whispered, taking a step back. "I—I can't do it. You guys go in without me…I can't go back in there!"

Black Star was visibly surprised about the shack. "Straff lives here? Are you sure?"

Kell shot him a look saying "of-course-I'm-sure-you-dumbass."

Tsubaki patted him reassuringly on the shoulder, but removed her hand when he flinched at her touch. "Sorry," she apologized and he shrugged. "But, if you don't want to come in, you don't have to. You can stay out here."

Kell turned his innocent brown eyes up to her. "Really?" He said quietly. Tsubaki smiled, though inside her heart was twisting with sympathy for him. _He must have never been given a choice on what to do in life…_

"Come on!" Patty said, skipping forward. Her cheer was undaunted by the prospect of a crazy old man who would beat innocent children. "Let's find Kid!"

The rest of the Meisters and weapons slowly filed inside. The shack was just as bad on the inside as it was on the outside. There was no real floor, just the ground. A smell of rotten meat hovered around the whole building, and flies buzzed around a disturbing lump in the corner. The walls were rotting and covered in moss, looking like it would fall on them at any second. The ground was damp, and every few seconds a drop of water would fall from the ceiling, a remnant from the rain. An old bundle of rags sat in a pile in the corner.

Tsubaki frowned at said pile of rags. No…wait…it was a _person._ Even as that thought crossed her mind, he raised his head. He had long, stringy brown hair that drooped over his face. His clothes were decrepit and patchy, and he was skinny as a rake. He had muddy brown eyes, and as he suddenly smiled up at them his teeth were yellow, crooked, and a couple were missing.

"Shalia!" He croaked, scrabbling at the ground with long, curling fingernails. Tsubaki started. He was looking right at her. "Shalia, you're back!"

Everyone stared at him. "Um, no, I think you're a little confused," Tsubaki said gently. "My name is Tsubaki. Are you Straff?"

The man wheezed with laughter, his eyes darting from side to side crazily. "You forgot me, Shalia?" He said in his raspy voice, leaning forward. "How could you forget Straff! I'm here…I'm Straff!"

"But I'm not Shalia," Tsubaki said, glancing at the others. They had stepped forward, but were looking confused. Tsubaki didn't blame them. _This is the guy Lord Death sent us to find?_

Straff coughed and spat on the ground. Tsubaki swallowed her revulsion at the green-yellow color of whatever Straff had just coughed up. "Shalia, Shalia," he chided. "Straff knows! Yes I do! Straff is…" He suddenly paused and raised a hand with surprising speed, and grasped at something in the air. The crooked smile reappeared. "I got it, Shalia!" He croaked. "Look! I finally got it!"

Tsubaki got fed up with this, and decided to play long. "Well done, Straff!" She said. "I've been being silly—of course I'm Shalia." She ignored the confused mutterings of her friends behind her. "I have a question to ask you, Straff."

"Shalia, friends!" He suddenly shouted, making her jerk in surprise. He waved his hand, still clenched on whatever he thought he caught, at Black Star, Liz, Patty, Soul, and Maka. "Who are they?" His smile vanished. "Why are they in my house?"

He tottered to his feet. Tsubaki was quite surprised—he didn't look like he could move, much less stand. She took a step back, then gasped as he suddenly drew a curved, rusty knife from his now visible belt. "Get out!" He screeched, raising the knife.

Something tugged Tsubaki back, and she stumbled. "No! Stop!" A young voice cried. "Please, stop!"

"Kell?" Tsubaki heard Maka said in surprise as she righted herself. Sure enough, Kell was there, standing in front of Straff, who was raising his knife uncertainly.

"Kell?" Straff croaked as well, staring down at the boy. "Kell, is that you?"

Kell swallowed, then nodded, slowly reaching up and grabbing Straff's wrist. Tsbuaki saw out of the corner of her eye Liz transform, and Patty grab her, obviously ready for trouble. But Kell lowered the hand holding the knife without difficulty.

"Hi, dad," Kell whispered.

_**

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**_

A/N: I'm having fun with Kell. ^_^ Remember to review! It'll incite me to get off my lazy butt and write more.


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